Super Back to the Future Part II
Super Nintendo
Nostalgia Factor:
I became aware of this game a few years ago when I first got my RetroPie. I remember scrolling through the Super Famicom section and seeing this game. I turned it on and played it for two or three minutes. Not long, but enough for me to make a mental note to come back and play through it someday.
Why was this game in the Super Famicom section and not the Super Nintendo section? Because it was never released in the United States. It was a Japan only exclusive. That made me even more curious to fully dive into the game.
It took me a few years, but here I am, finally ready to take that plunge.
(note - I put all Super Famicom games under Super Nintendo on this blog to avoid any potential confusion. They are the exact same system, just with different names in the east and the west)
This game follows the same basic story as the movie, with some liberties taken, of course. You start in the future, and you have to fight Biff and his goons. Your journey takes you through Hell Valley, the 50's, and all the other locations you see in the movie in your quest to retrieve the stolen sports almanac.
Gameplay:
I understand what they were trying to do when they made this game, but quite frankly it does not work. Let me explain. The entire game is based around the gimmick that Marty is riding his hoverboard. Always. At all times. The entire game. That's right, the hoverboard that he rides for about 3 minutes in the movie, you are stuck with for the entire game.
And it handles terribly. It is either too slow or too fast. I think they were going for a Sonic-kinda vibe here, as much of the game is dashing forward as quickly as possible and jumping on or over enemies as they appear. If you are moving quickly, the momentum will often carry you over edges if you don't react fast enough. Enemies and obstacles like spikes appear WAY too fast for you to be able to react. It is a pain in the butt. Another game I could compare it to is Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Bandidos for the SNES. And that game is not any fun either.
The jumping is flat out bad. If you aren't getting a running jump, don't even bother jumping because Marty will barely jump forward otherwise. You have to back up, hold the run button, and gather some momentum before you can make a jump. There are some difficult platforming sections in this game, with small platforms to jump on. You can imagine how frustrating this gimmick can become. All because they thought it would be a good idea to stick you on a hoverboard for the entire duration of the game.
The game itself is just very blasé and uninspiring. There was nothing to get excited about as I played this. After I played the first two stages of the game, I knew exactly how the rest of it would play out: exactly the same. Repetitive, boring, and not any fun whatsoever. The boss stages offer the only real variety the game has to offer. And even then, they aren't that great.
I played this game and beat it in one night not because I was having a good time, but because I wanted to be finished and over with it. I'm definitely never playing this one again.
Graphics:
Really the only positive aspect of the game is how it portrays the events of the movie. It was a lot of fun seeing all the different stage backgrounds as I made my way through the game. The future, the 80s restaurant, Hell Valley, Biff's Casino, The 50s prom, the car chase, etc. If you are a fan of the movie you should enjoy the representation of these areas.
The characters are a little weird looking, not gonna lie. I can't say that this is how I pictured a Back to the Future game would look. They have big heads, cartoonish features - like they stepped out of a manga or something. It's definitely an unusual look, but at the same time I don't hate it. Reminds me a bit of how the characters look in Ghostbusters for the Sega Genesis.
Sound:
Right off the bat you are treated to a 16-bit rendition of the classic Back to the Future theme song. It's good, too! It got me excited to start playing the game, although I was quickly let down by its gameplay.
If you like this version of the theme song, you better get used to hearing it. A lot. This is the stage music for like every stage in the game, it seems. Maybe there are other songs used here. I'm sure there are. But I can't remember a single one of them, and I just played through this last night.
Overall:
Why do we play games?
To have fun!
Was Super Back to the Future Part II any fun?
No!
And that's the problem. It's not fun. Like, at all. It doesn't matter how good the music is, or how closely the game follows the movie. None of that. The game flat out sucks. It's a hassle to control. It's a hassle to navigate the stages. It's boring. It's repetitive. It is a truly terrible game.
And that sucks, because I had such high hopes for it. But as I said earlier, I will never play this again. I see no reason to do so. Life is too short. No need to waste my time on something I know I do not like. I can't recommend this to others, either. There are so many good games out there. You may be tempted by the theme of the game and its appealing visual package. But it sucks. Trust me, bro.
THE GRADE:
F
(That's right, it is even worse than Back to the Future: The Game for the PS3)
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